Testimonials

What My Clients Say

"If you are someone who has experienced the ravages of serious illness and its treatments, or live through exceptionally stressful situations, you understand how crucial it is to explore a healing method which serves to rebuild one’s own relationship with themselves: their mind, spirit and body. It is unfortunate in today’s climate that even with so many studios opening and yoga instructors filling training courses, the trend has been towards building yoga as big business, fads and exercise packaging, away from the true spirit of intent which would satisfy our specific needs. The saving grace however, is once you’ve found an instructor like Lauren Maher, the tendency is to hold on and prioritize them into your life as part of your A-team for self-advocacy and healing.

My experience of Lauren’s classes and workshops has been great almost beyond measure. They continue to arouse my curiosity about the possibilities of yoga while simultaneously improving my own state of wellbeing. Lauren’s training and background helps her to stand out from other instructors in the field as well as instill a lasting sense of trust in her abilities. Her classes incorporate the lost art of chanting, references and quotations of the yoga sutras, yogic prayer through sound, attention to body alignment, specific poses that change on a regular basis, and a particular centralized focus on the full power of breath through kundalini. After beginning a session by asking about our bodies and what we’re feeling, she is particularly adept at tuning in and easily changing the flow of the postures to respond to our needs. The most amazing aspect is feeling in present time my body’s positive response and the energetic movement of connectedness. Her excellent teaching style has kept me coming back for some time now, but more importantly it has been through her classes that I’ve realized: Yoga saves lives, and my being here, grateful and still breathing, can attest to that. Namaste."

-- S. Kent

"I can walk into Lauren's Kundalini yoga class feeling unbelievably stressed and hating the world, and always walk out feeling amazing and light and wonderful. Lauren's teaching style is a gift. She is down-to-earth, considers beginners or those with injuries and patiently offers alternative postures to those who need it. Lauren is a beautiful person inside and out - and if you have the opportunity to take advantage of her mastery in Kundalini Yoga, you won't regret it. Lauren is the perfect antidote to a stressful life in L.A.! I LOVE her and you will too!"

"Lauren Maher has been my yoga therapist for little over a year now. I am a farrier by trade. The physical demands of this profession brought me to the hospital on more than one occasion for various ailments—chronic neck pain, headaches and chest discomfort to name a few. For three years, nothing worked. Conventional medicine, physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage helped only temporarily but never got to the core of the problem. When I met Lauren, she created specific yoga exercises designed to help reverse the strenuous positions I use at work. As a result, my posture has improved significantly. Headaches are no more and I can move my neck with absolutely no pain. I believe Lauren to be an integral part of the medical field—someone who truly cares about the individual and finding a restoring path specific to their needs."

-- Tim P.

"Four years ago my life changed forever. Being diagnosed with breast cancer transformed every area of my world – leaving me feeling powerless, scared, hopeless, and very much alone. Once treatment started I had to deal with the loss of my once healthy and strong body – it was no longer familiar to me. All the books, therapy, medical professionals, and support groups tell you that blessings would come with the devastating losses, but I could not see that right away – no way could there ever be anything positive about this experience – but now looking back I can clearly see that angels were there for me every step of the way. One of those angels was Lauren Maher.

Upon my diagnosis, I sought out every means of support, diversion and wellness I could and one of the best resources was the weSpark Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks, California. It was there that I was re-introduced to yoga, and to the most amazing instructor. Lauren is not only devoted to her craft, a true professional and master yoga guide, she has compassion, empathy, understanding, and a true concern for the well-being of those she teaches. She is a mentor and a friend. She sees the heart and soul of a person not just the physical presence – I never felt ashamed of my body’s post surgery/chemo changes or declining abilities in her class. She always gently encourages, but never pushes. Lauren is observant, seeing those in a yoga session that need extra guidance, and offering a gentle hand. Her voice has a cadence and tone that emotes strength, yet it is soothing, as she takes her clients through well-prepared, specifically tailored yoga sessions.

I continue to seek out every class, at any venue that Lauren teaches. I have been to her special workshops on mantras and most recently while enduring a very long and difficult recovery from reconstruction surgery, I had one-on-one sessions with Lauren, which included her putting together an excellent program for me to follow – better than any physical therapist could have provided. Where I usually struggle with meditation, with Lauren’s guidance, I finally have learned to shut my thoughts off from the outside world and quiet all the inner noise, allowing me to rest my mind and regain clarity. Although I still have work to do to get my body functioning well, I truly believe that Lauren was an integral part of my being able to cope with the emotional and spiritual challenges, endure long and aggressive cancer treatments, recover from two surgeries, manage permanent residual side-effects, and return to work. Most of all, Lauren continues to help me on my journey to find the inner power, resolve and peace that I am sure will transform me from being a survivor, to a person who can thrive despite having cancer."

-Deborah C.

Lauren Maher is a truly wonderful yoga teacher, her classes are genuinely transformative. I have been a regular student of Lauren's for over fourteen years. During that time she has helped me deepen my yoga practice and affected profound and positive growth in my life.

Her classes, retreats and workshops are soothing, friendly and welcoming to everyone wherever they are in their yoga practice. I've been to Lauren's workshops and retreats in Ojai and Monrovia, and the whole experience is pleasing to the senses and nurturing on different levels. From the natural beauty of the location where it is so easy to enjoy the surroundings, unplug, relax, and experience a deep calm, to the food is which is always fresh and delicious. After a retreat I feel calm, relaxed, and I get a beautiful, fulfilling experience with a fresh perspective to take with me as I move through daily life.

Lauren brings great deal of knowledge and experience, as well as warmth, understanding and humor to her classes. The gentle asanas, and meditations are supported by her fascinating lectures bringing together the yoga sutras, information about anatomy, and through her experience as a therapist, psychology. I've learned so many useful tools from Lauren, like breath work and meditation techniques to help relax and cope with stress, and ways to incorporate yoga into my everyday life. As her student I feel supported and encouraged to investigate ways my own mind and body connect, and how to be in the world.

In many ways yoga has changed my life, and I have Lauren to thank for that.

— Michaela D.

I met Lauren Maher through a friend who sang her praises as 'the best kundalini yoga teacher ever'. I fell in love with yoga as a means to begin the daunting task of taming my runaway mind.

Since 2010 my husband and I have attended two of Lauren's weekend Ojai retreats at a peaceful, quiet center that makes you feel many miles from the daily grind. Healthy, delicious meals, daily yoga sessions, evening outdoor gatherings around the campfire, and plenty of time to wander, read, or meditate in this beautiful setting.

So inspired by Lauren's meditative, soul- enriching yoga and her relaxed, lovely, personality, and razor sharp intelligence, we went on to join three of her retreats in Italy. The perfect opportunity to see the gorgeous Tuscan and Umbrian countrysides with a woman who speaks the language and has a huge passion for the country. Every aspect of these trips is planned and carried out; all we had to do was show up, enjoy the fabulous food, start our day with gentle yoga, and head out on day trips exploring the art and culture of this magical place.

The Umbrian trip we recently attended was sublime. Lauren and her new husband, Norman, are now quite a team; their energy, enthusiasm, and love for each other adds a fresh dimension as they broaden out into a new chapter of distant travel, taking us all along for the adventure. Truly the opportunity of a lifetime.